Canadian Education

Text pg. 8-16

Each province developed its own ministry of education. Therefore Canada now has 13 different education systems for all the provinces and territories. The federal government only plays a role in higher education.

The education of Canada’s First Nations peoples has been controlled by the department of Indian and Northern affairs in Ottawa. Native children were isolated in residential schools a long time ago; the last one closed only 25 years ago. Because of this cultures and languages disintegrated. The situation of dropouts has been improving over the years in the aboriginal communities. The number of band operated schools as also increased. There are also more native teachers for these schools now as universities are offering programs for them.

In the 70’s, French was established as the sole language of instruction except for children who had a parent that was educated in English. A few years later, the Charter of Rights stated there would be access to public education in each province’s minority language ‘where numbers permit’.

I believe that Canada should be more united in its education systems. I don’t understand why each province and territory needs its own ministry of education. Everyone should be taught the same thing. It would make it much easier for students and teachers who have or would like to move to different provinces. Besides Quebec, are the people in BC really that different than those in Nova Scotia that we need to have a different education system? It really makes no sense to me.

Also I found it absolutely depressing that First Nations peoples have been losing their languages and cultures. I understand that it would be hard to keep them alive in schools because there is such a small minority of First Nations peoples who are able to teach these children. I think it’s great that more universities are offering programs to try and keeps these cultures alive. I believe everyone has the right to their own language and culture that they chose and we should be trying hard as a country to help keep these alive and make us more multicultural.

The topic of the French language in Canada is always a big debate as well as what goes on in Quebec. I am okay with the fact that children in Quebec must go to French schools unless they have a parent who has been taught in English. If these parents want their kids to speak English as well they can do it in the home and outside of school. It is a privilege to be bilingual therefore I don’t think anyone should be complaining. I think that all or at least the majority of schools in Canada that are not in Quebec should be French immersion so that everyone in Canada would be bilingual. Not only would that help you out in Canada but around the world and learning another language is very beneficial. I don’t see what all the fuss is about!